


Apologies In Runes

by Basched



Category: Avengers
Genre: Confrontation, Denial, Falling In Love, Fear of Rejection, First Kiss, Lust, M/M, Runes, Slash, Storytelling, Thundershield Fan Work Exchange of 2014, needing advice, other tags I'm sure I've forgotten, secret codes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-07
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-23 22:56:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1582439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Basched/pseuds/Basched
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fight forges a new bond between Steve and Thor, along with a fear of admitting how they truly feel for each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kookykoi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kookykoi/gifts).



> This is my fan work piece for Kookykoi. I tried to include all the prompts asked of me and I only hope that this long piece has everything you wanted. 
> 
> Do enjoy. It is beta'd but there's bound to be mistakes.

The knock on his door caught him by surprise, so in a panic he grabbed the towel he had discarded after his shower and wrapped it around his waist. The knock came again, sounding tentative, as if the person doing the knocking was very nervous. 

Steve opened the door and sure enough, there was Thor, the one person he didn’t want to face. Steve went to close the door. 

Thor wasn’t about to let him. 

“Captain…” 

A thick muscled arm nearly broke the door as it rose up to stop it. 

“This is really a bad time, Thor,” Steve stammered, “I just got out of the shower…I’m…I’m not dressed.” 

Like that was going to make Thor go away. Now that Thor had come to him, he wasn’t going to be easy to avoid. Steve felt a tad bit nauseous. 

“You are wearing a towel,” Thor said after more than a few moments of standing in awkward silence. 

“Yes. Yes I am…are you… you’re not going to leave, are you?” 

“You wish for me to go?” Thor asked, sadly. 

_Yes. No. Maybe?_

They had been friends for a while now, ever since Thor’s return from Asgard. Like most friends, Steve and Thor had their disputes. Some disagreements were over trivial and little things, but a few days ago, Steve did something that shocked everyone, himself included and Thor especially. 

Steve knew he would have to face Thor eventually about what happened. The debriefing after their mission had been long and beyond uncomfortable and now wasn’t the best time either, but then when would be? He clenched his fist at the knot of his towel and stepped aside. 

“Okay, Thor, come in.”

Thor bowed graciously, walked into Steve’s room and stood in the middle, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot. He waited there for a moment, rocking on his soles with his head bowed. 

Steve shut the door behind them and held out his hand to bid Thor to one of the chairs. 

Thor eventually slumped down into one, the wood creaking a little under the bulk of his weight, and it was then that Steve noticed the Asgardian was holding a book. It was a small but thick book a diary or journal, with a black leather cover. Steve was curious about it but decided to say nothing as he sat on the edge of the bed. 

There was another long awkward moment of silence. Both struggled to break the barrier that had grown between them, but they couldn’t manage to even dent it, until Thor smirked—just a tiny bit—and suddenly looked up at the ceiling.

“Er…captain?” Thor gestured as he still looked at the ceiling. He pointed to Steve’s legs. Steve gasped, snapped his legs shut and pulled some more of the towel across his lap. 

“Sorry! Er, what did you want to…?”

Thor cleared his throat with a cough and held out the book towards him. He finally managed to make eye contact, though he was still quite humble and shy.  
“I came to apologise about what I did to you the other day. My behaviour was unfitting and wrong.”

“Thor… no, I should be the one apologising.” 

“Captain, not one of us was in our right minds, we were weary and stressed and I made the situation worse. Steven, stories are often told in Asgard of great battles, heroic deeds and romances. Songs are sung and poems recited about every manner of things. As the next in line for the throne my whole life has been chronicled by royal artisans and scholars. I am constantly under scrutiny, all my triumphs and mistakes. How I reacted with you… it was wrong. It was an incident that I do not ever wish to repeat. I didn’t know how to approach you. Finding the words…the right ones was extremely difficult. So, I have written them down instead.” 

“You what now?” 

Steve was stunned and his whole body became rigid with fear when Thor got up and sat next to him. The closeness, the feeling of Thor’s arm brushing against his, their legs touching, it was extremely discomforting. 

Thor opened the leather book and revealed pages of what looked like an alien variation of ancient Norse runes. Each rune had been hand written in royal blue ink and the penmanship—bar a few smudges—was exquisite, the detail was beautiful and it made Steve relax and smile, briefly.

This wasn’t going to sway him. 

“I wrote this for you,” Thor said, turning the book to the front and handing it to Steve, “the words came easier to the page than anything I could say face to face.” 

Thor wrote this, for him? 

It didn’t feel right that Thor had to apologise at all when Steve was the one who started it, but then again Steve couldn’t help but be amazed at the artistry of Thor’s writing. 

“It’s in your language…” he said, feeling his mouth go dry. “I can’t… I can’t read it.” 

“Ah.”

“Could you…er… maybe translate?”

“Aye. I can do that.” 

Thor’s hands were shaking and his nerves showed even more as he cleared his throat. 

He began to read, tracing his fingers across the runes. 

 

\----------

_I saw you on the battlefield for the first time and I knew then that I would follow you._

_You took command and you brought order to the chaos which was threatening to tear me apart. We fought side by side in the city of Manhattan, you gave me focus. You helped stay my temper when Loki riled me so._

_My brother was responsible for the death of thousands of your people and it was I who had failed Loki. I feel responsible. I still feel guilt and shame for what Loki did, I couldn’t save him before and I am stricken with grief that I will never see the Loki I knew and loved from my childhood again._

_As leader of our avenging ensemble, you were our Captain, there was no doubt. You rallied us all and gave us hope and the drive to continue. You were kind to me and supported me after the battle, even though it was you who were injured._

_You became my friend and upon my return to Midgard you have remained ever so._

_But now something has changed._

_The events of three days ago, was not one of my finest moments._

\------------

**Three days ago**

 

Emotions were high, tempers were short and they had come so close to failing. The damage and destruction done again to the city was extensive, lives had been lost and many more had been injured. The Avengers and their allies had held off the attackers but barely. 

Thor knew that Steve wasn’t happy with him as soon as he landed on the ground. 

His landing was more than a little bit off. Thor skidded and fell straight into a car and getting back to his feet meant that the car got even more squashed than he intended. 

Steve called out his name, in a tone that was not dissimilar to Thor’s tutors in Asgard when they scolded him for not paying attention. It wasn’t a good tone. Steve was more than angry at him, he was furious and for good reason. Thor had made a decision in the midst of the fight that had nearly ruined everything. 

They exchanged heated words and lots of them, but they were beyond tired and as a result, they didn’t listen to one another. They simply yelled over each other’s hoarse and bellowing voices, not once letting the other finish their sentence. Not even Bruce or Sif could calm them down. Tony tried too but the argument carried on despite any attempts from their friends. 

“Tony, back off!” Steve snapped, jabbing an angry gloved finger in Stark’s face. “All of you back away, this doesn’t concern you!”

Tony had made some kind of sarcastic comment that didn’t go down well with Steve at all, but instead of retorting back to Tony, Steve still focused all his anger and frustrations again at Thor.

“You would dare speak to my lord Thor in such a manner, Captain Rogers?” Sif interjected, but Thor held up his hand and she stepped back. 

Instead of being calm about such retort, instead of admitting that it was his fault, instead of telling Steve the truth or even being concerned and comforting to his friend, Thor stood his ground and nudged the bulk of his body and armour against Steve in a provocative manner. 

“Don’t do that.” Steve gave him a small shove of his own. Thor took a couple of steps back because of it but then he moved in again, knocking his chest against Steve. 

“Will you listen to me if I comply?” 

“What? Thor, you didn’t listen to _me!_ There was a chain of command and you ignored it. You put Tony’s life in danger by leaving your position and for what? You say it was to help me? I didn’t need any help. Sif and Hulk had my back!”

That wasn’t quite the way of it, Sif, Bruce and Tony knew it, but wisely they kept out of it this time. This was something the two of them had to sort out themselves.

“Steve… I was closer to you than Banner was. He and Sif were inundated with enemy warriors and you never saw the six closing in on you from behind. I called out! But that wasn’t enough. I reached you did I not?”

“Yeah… you did, but… but that’s not the point! I… just… just get out of my way, Thor, I’ve finished arguing with you. We have to go back to the tower and debrief.”

“No.” Thor shoved Steve with his body again. He did it a couple more times, noting the fury on Steve’s face getting more and more intense. Thor didn’t want to fight him but he couldn’t stop himself. He did it one more time and received a punch in the face for it. 

 

\------

 

_I used to goad others into retaliating. In my youth I sought out conflict and war, even with my friends. I courted and played with it. I revelled in the fight. I rejoiced._

_But I pushed you too far. Fatigue and pain overcame my reason. I struck you back without thinking, I hit you and in that moment I thought Ragnarok had come upon us._

_Then you did something that I have seen only a few ever do before._

 

\-------

 

The force of the blow and the impact with the shop window (and the whole shop) wasn’t the only thing that dazed him. As Thor climbed back out of the rubble and broken glass, with blood drenching his hair, face and arms, the physical pain was nothing compared to the sight of Steve on the other side of the road. 

Confusion swirled around inside his head, twisting and disorientating him. A mixture of choking fear, absolute joy and raging anger made him stagger out into the road. His hands trembled as he approached Steve, his whole body shook he couldn’t stop it. He completely ignored the other three members of their team and reached out for the hammer in the captain’s hand. 

The words couldn’t form, nor could his hand take back Mjolnir. He couldn’t bring himself to even touch Steve. So many emotions were preventing him from saying anything but the involuntary scowl on his face said plenty enough to Steve. 

“Captain.” He didn’t mean to come across as angry, but if Thor heard it when he spoke, then Steve surely did. 

Mjolnir dropped to the floor and cracked the sidewalk. 

Steve staggered back. He was horrified, absolutely horrified. He stumbled and tripped backwards over the curb and right into a lamppost that bent almost in half. Thor took a few more steps towards him, to help or something, he wasn’t sure, but he stopped when his closeness made Steve recoil more against the post. 

Sif, Tony and Bruce tried to snap the pair out of their state, but no amount of calling their names and waving their hands in front of their faces, brought the two men back to reality. 

Eventually Thor broke the stare, bending down to pick up his hammer. Mjolnir was thrumming in his palm. She pulsed against his fingers and throbbed in a manner he had not felt before, ever. 

“You…” Thor’s voice cracked with disbelief, “you hit me… with Mjolnir. You… picked her up.” 

Steve still couldn’t reply, he just looked at the hammer and then at his hands. His complexion had gone quite pale, turning the red of blood dripping from the cut on his forehead more vibrant as it slid down his cheek. 

Steve’s mouth dropped open and hung there for a while before he began to stammer phrases that Thor couldn’t comprehend at all. 

Thankfully in that moment, Natasha and Clint arrived with the jet. The drone of the engines drowned out anything Steve was saying and finally when the ramp of the jet opened with a loud clunk, Tony eased between the two men, helped Steve away from the lamppost and into the back of the quinjet. 

Tony grabbed a blanket from one of the overhead compartments and placed it around Steve’s shoulders. He had to practically catch Captain America and set him down on the seat as Steve’s weariness made his legs give out. 

Sif went to help Thor who was still just as dazed, but when Thor saw Steve collapse inside the jet, when he saw how really shaken he was, Thor shook his head and stepped away from his friends. 

He couldn’t fly back to Stark Tower with them after what he’d done. It wasn’t right. 

Mjolnir began to spin. Thor whipped her around in fast circles and summoned up the wind which lifted him off the ground and aided him to fly away. 

He couldn’t say anything let alone apologise. 

He couldn’t face Steve now or any time soon. 

 

\----------

 

_Whoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor._

_Those are the words, the enchantment, my father blessed upon Mjolnir. In all my thousands of years, there have been only a few who have been able to pick her up. I never imagined that you might be one of those few…but then I fathomed… how could you not?_

_Do not feel shame or guilt for hitting me, for you woke me with that strike. You and I are much more than friends but there is nothing in the whole of this cosmos that can label what we are nor break the bond we have. We are bound for eternity. You are worthy and I have never been more glad._

_I am sorry for giving you cause to be angry at me, Steven. I am sorry for striking you back._

 

\-------

**Now**

 

Thor closed the book and waited for a response. 

He got one, but it wasn’t the one he hoped for. 

“Thor… I’m not worthy. I’m not… I’m far from that for hitting you.” Steve handed him back the book. “These words, you can’t possibly mean any of this about me.” 

“I do. Captain, I know you didn’t mean to hit me and I know that you are sorry, but please do not do this to yourself. We were both exhausted. Battle had taken almost everything out of us, rationality and sense but mere examples. I hit you too and…I am ashamed for that. I am ashamed that it has taken this long for us to talk again.”

The words _‘I’ve missed you’_ nearly followed but Thor never got the chance to speak them. 

“Being tired is no excuse for me hitting you!” Steve’s sudden outburst nearly made Thor fall of the edge of the bed. Steve, however, shot to his feet and stormed across to the bathroom. He kept his back to Thor and leaned against the frame of the door. “There’s never an excuse, to hit the people you lo….your friends, Thor, unless you happen to be sparring.”

“You didn’t turn up to our weekly sparring matches yesterday…” 

“Well, I wasn’t in the mood to hit you again so soon… not after seeing how angry you were. Thor, I’m so sorry. I’m not worthy of any of this, not your words, or Mjolnir.”

There was a faint sound of an angry growl which made Steve shake with fear. 

“Enough of this speak! You lead the battle well and bravely whilst under enormous pressure… any lesser man would have given up and perished long before! You are worthy, Steve Rogers. Mjolnir knows this and…I know this. Do not put yourself down in this manner.” 

“Thor, I picked up Mjolnir and you were so angry. I hit you with your own hammer and I felt…horrified. Sick. Why shouldn’t I put myself down after hurting you? Why shouldn’t I feel guilty?”

Thor got up from the bed and approached Steve. 

“It is pointless and futile to degrade yourself so. It was my fault.”

“Yeah…you’re not right about that. Thor, thank you, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better…the words, the runes, are lovely. You have a talent, but I don’t… I can’t forgive myself for hurting you. Okay?”

“That is harsh. Why are you so?” 

“I’m always tough on myself. I generally feel what is right…what should be done, but that wasn’t right. How could you not be angry with me? You’re one of my best friends, you’re my teammate… it shouldn’t have happened.” 

No it shouldn’t have happened. 

A wave of sadness overcame Thor. Steve had thought he had done a great wrong to Thor by physically hurting him with Mjolnir, he thought Thor was angry at him but that was far from the truth. It was the other way round, Steve was the one who was angry and Thor didn’t like that. 

“Look… I’m still… maybe you should go.”

“Even if I said that I wasn’t angry? That I forgive you?” 

A small sad smile appeared on Steve’s face, it was appreciated and accepted, but Thor’s forgiveness, his apologies, wasn’t what Steve needed. 

Thor’s words hadn’t worked. He had hoped they would, that somehow writing them down and reading them would be easier, but perhaps a more practical approach might help change Captain America’s mind. Thor bowed and walked to the door of Steve’s room. He opened it, and held out his hand. 

It took only a few seconds for Mjolnir to appear. Thor closed his hand around her handle and instantly felt a huge rush of hope and joy. There was the same throbbing pulse coming from Mjolnir that he had felt after Steve had used her. His fingers prickled, tiny warm shocks tickled his tips and that same warmth travelled up his arms to the rest of his body.

“I’m not going,” Thor stated in a firm authoritive tone, “not until you truly feel what it’s like to hold Mjolnir in the palm of your hand and why I could never be really angry with you.” 

“Thor… please, don’t.” 

Thor grabbed hold of Steve’s hand and held it up in front of them, placing Mjolnir against his palm. Thor then closed their hands around the handle, interlocking their fingers together.

The effects were instant.

“Holy shi…” 

Steve sucked in a deep breath as a rising swell of warmth and immense power washed over and between them. He released that breath in a succession of shuddering gasps and again, he nearly collapsed to the ground. Thor grabbed his waist and pulled him up and into him, Mjolnir filling the small gap between them. 

Several tingling electric shocks passed between them and their foreheads touched together. The power increased and as Steve quivered against him, gasping for breath, Thor smiled and whispered in Steve’s ear. 

“Hold her. Feel the power of her. Know that in a universe inhabited by billions upon billions, you are amongst only a handful who can wield her.”  
“I…oh god… this is… is this what you feel every time you hold her?” 

No. Not quite like this. Now, is different. The others who were able to lift Thor’s hammer never felt like this. Mjolnir was excited, she was humming and vibrating so much that the air around them was becoming charged. Like a storm. 

Thor chuckled, which made Steve smile in return. 

“There’s no reason for any of us to be sorry anymore.” Thor rested his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “There is no reason for you to doubt yourself or blame yourself.”

“No. I guess not.” 

Suddenly Thor felt a hand grip the back of his neck. He was dragged down to Steve’s level and kissed fully and hard upon his lips. The shock made Thor drop his hold on Mjolnir and Steve. He went rigid with fear, but when he felt the terrified and yearning moan against his mouth, when he heard Steve’s fear in a sorrowful groan, Thor reacted without thinking. 

He grabbed hold of Steve’s waist, touching skin instead of towel, pulled Steve up against him and kissed him back with as just as much strength and vigour as he could muster. Steve’s tongue slipped into his mouth and began to aggressively play and toy with Thor’s, coaxing and demanding some kind of response. Thor responded and they found a rhythm and a pleasing play with their tongues and lips. Steve grabbed fistfuls of Thor’s hair and forced the kiss on, harder and quicker, he broke the rhythm with such ferocity and caused the two of them to lose their balance which sent them crashing into the frame of the bathroom door. 

Their panting breaths, the wet smacking of lips and tongues and the tight sharp tugs on his hair, fuelled Thor on, he couldn’t stop himself. Thor felt burning flush. 

An arousing heat rose across the surface of his skin as Steve continued to kiss him. 

There were no thoughts, only sensations and emotions going beyond his control. The kiss, every motion of it, from the salivating hot wetness in his mouth to the feel of Steve’s body up against him and moving with him, was euphoria. It was a rush that wasn’t slowing down. 

That was until something dropped and Thor felt his hands upon two very bare buttocks. 

Reality came back to Thor like a slap to the face. 

It hit him so hard that he pulled out from Steve’s grasp and collided with the wall, making a hefty crack in it. He scowled at the crack as he wiped at his mouth, he turned in confused circles and smacked his lips together several times, reeling at the taste of his friend. He was staggered and dizzy, Thor tried to steady himself, but again his Asgardian strength only cracked the door frame, the bits breaking off onto the floor. 

Thor vaguely heard Jarvis asking if something was the matter, but he couldn’t answer, though as his swollen lips continued tingling, as the distinctive flavour of Steve Rogers was still strong in his mouth, he slowly realised why the past three days had happened as they did. 

He realised what he had just done and it took seconds for Thor to vacate the room, leaving Steve utterly stunned. 

“Oh shit.”


	2. Chapter 2

He didn’t know what to do. 

Thor’s sudden departure had been a shock but what else should Steve have expected? 

Steve did what he thought was right and what felt right to him at the time. For a moment, when Thor had been kissing him back, nothing else even mattered. A surge of emotion within Steve had been overwhelming, he felt wonderful and he would have completely surrendered himself to the cravings and lusts that were screaming in his head, that were telling him what he had always been so reluctant to do before. The way Thor had touched him and made him feel, it was everything Steve had hoped from him since he had met the Asgardian. It might have been something to do with their new connection from Mjolnir, but it was crazy and wild, Steve didn’t want it to end…he wanted so much more. However, all those hopes and desires, all the joy and happiness had been dashed in seconds. 

Steve was left alone in his room, afraid, angry and drained. 

The sensations made by Mjolnir, the power he felt from the hammer and from Thor, was beginning to wear off and panic began to take over. Steve pulled on his sweat pants and his white t-shirt and went to go look for the other man. He didn’t know what he was going to say when he found him but Steve needed to find Thor or else their friendship, or whatever it was they had, would fall apart. The panic, the fear of losing that friendship was too much to contemplate. 

Steve was just about to leave, when he paused and went back to the bed, where Thor’s book still remained, left there in Thor’s hasty departure. 

Steve picked it up and opened it to the first page. The blue Asgardian runes were beautiful, he couldn’t deny that. He ran his fingers over each line, taking note of the uniqueness of Thor’s style and that it was a piece of art in itself. Steve never had a clue that Thor could be so artistic, but was pleased to be proven wrong. 

This book, half filled, must have taken ages, and a lot of patience, to create. Thor had probably spent the last three days working on this. 

_I saw you on the battlefield for the first time and I knew then that I would follow you._

Steve didn’t understand the words on the paper, but he knew what Thor had read to him. A new hope welled up inside of him, because what Thor had read, it had felt like a declaration. All those words about being worthy and how Thor had thought the end of the world had happened because of their fight, what else could it be? Thor had kissed him back. Steve had felt Thor’s hands groping at his hips, the need had radiated off him. Steve had felt the warmth of Thor’s hands on his ass when the towel dropped, he had heard Thor growling deeply in his mouth. Thor did want him. 

Maybe it was just the connection they had with Mjolnir, some kind of high or buzz that Thor shared with all who could lift his hammer. Maybe Thor kissing him back was simply just a reaction from this new bond they shared…that it had nothing to do with love or attraction at all. 

Thor didn’t really feel what Steve felt. He was offended by that kiss. 

Steve had to find him and apologise. He had to make things right with his friend and that would also mean leaving the Avengers. He couldn’t be the leader of this team any more.

 

\----

 

Thor Odinson was not in his room. He was not in the kitchen, dining room or any of the other recreational places within Stark Tower. He was not on the balcony, or the roof. It was like he had disappeared completely. Steve looked everywhere he could think of, but there was just no sign of Thor at all. 

His fellow Avengers didn’t know where Thor was either, or rather, they wouldn’t say. They knew how Steve had felt, but they had never mentioned it or brought it up. They had never needed to because Steve hadn’t let his feelings get in the way of leading them, at least not until now. 

Bruce had no clue at all where Thor…or indeed anyone was, for his main focus was on the experiment he was conducting in the lab Tony had constructed for him. He had been engrossed for the past several days, talking or interacting with no one except Tony or Pepper. This time he did break his concentration momentarily and was genuinely concerned about his team leader.

“Are you okay, Captain?” 

“No… not really, Doctor Banner.”

“You and Thor have still not made up?” 

“No, we’ve not made up.” Steve paused for a moment and he wiped at his mouth. “We kinda made out?”

“What?” There was a loud clatter and several glasses smashed, but there was a genuine and very large smile on Bruce’s face as he looked up from the things he had dropped. The smile vanished when he saw Steve wasn’t happy. “So, that’s not good? But…you and Thor? Isn’t…isn’t it what you wanted with him?”

Steve nodded his head. “Yeah…but I don’t think he wanted me at all, at least not in a capacity other than friends.” 

“Do you, er… want to talk about it?” 

He really did, he badly wanted to talk about his concerns for his and Thor’s friendship and the future of his position as leader for the Avengers but Steve couldn’t and didn’t want to put his burdens on Bruce or anyone else. He shook his head, uttered a soft ‘thanks but no’ and walked out of the room before Bruce could say or offer anything further. 

Steve continued to wonder around the tower, lost in his thoughts and feeling utterly miserable. He thought he would visit the gym, maybe take out his troubles on a punching bag. 

Clint and Natasha were sparring together in the gym and it was such an intense workout that for a moment Steve thought they were actually fighting. Upon Steve’s entrance to the gym, their scrap came to halt with Clint still trapped on the floor with Natasha’s leg firmly wrapped around his neck. He struggled to break out of the lock but the Black Widow was having none of it. She had him pinned. 

When they saw Steve, both of them gave him a look of sympathy and they shook their heads before continuing on, Clint trying and failing to get out of the powerful hold of Natasha’s leg. 

None of them said where Thor was or even if they knew, but Steve knew that they understood. In their own way the two SHIELD agents had told him not to do anything. It wasn’t up to him to make the next move. 

The punching bag wasn’t any help. In fact, it only made him feel worse. 

Tony on the other hand was a different matter. Steve wondered down to Tony’s lab and watched him as he was working on another project, a new car, which made a nice change from some new suit. 

“So you finally decided to tell him how you feel.” Tony flipped up the welding mask and grinned. He got to his feet and slipped off the mask, before rubbing a cloth over his grease covered face. “He really wasn’t happy, y’know.” 

“He came here?” 

Tony nodded. 

“Briefly. The sky blackened and the winds howled. Our beloved god of thunder was really under the weather. He kept pacing up and down my lab, touching all my stuff —not impressed, by the way—and he kept saying things in his native tongue, which were clearly of the colourful and expletive variety. If we were on a TV show, every other word would have been bleeped out. He said some of those very words to Dum-E and while we didn’t know what he was saying, it was harsh. Thor reduced my bot to tears… well it would have cried if it was capable of it. It’s now sulking and has somehow become even more useless than before!”

“Thor’s that pissed off?” Steve felt a tight twisting ache in the pit of his stomach. 

“He’s pretty shaken. I thought you opted for not telling Point Break you had a man crush on him, because it would be better for the team to keep it all professional?” 

“Yeah, I thought that too, but apparently we’re bonded somehow, through Mjolnir. Things have changed.”

“You being able to hold his hammer—sorry, I’ll rephrase that—you being able to pick up Mjolnir…I was going to say how impressed I was at the time but you and Thor were having some major issues about it.”

Steve didn’t need to tell him about the issues. The red embarrassed flush said everything that his voice could not. Tony caught onto the implication of the change in skin colour and his eyes went wide and there was a loud metal clunk as he dropped his welding torch. Shock and great amusement spread across Tony’s face. 

“Oh Steven Rogers! What did you do? Did you grope his ass? Did you grope that lovely Norse god’s ass? Own up! Was there spanking too?”

“Tony…” Steve sighed heavily with frustration. Perhaps coming here was a mistake, he really didn’t need Tony’s mocking and jokes right now. “I did not grope Thor’s ass!”

“So it was just the spanking then? You naughty soldier!”

“There was no spanking! ” 

“No spanking? So the oral sex was a no go too?”

“Tony! For crying out loud!”

“Did you stick your tongue down his throat?” Steve’s lack of response made Tony’s smile grow wider. “Did you have to stand on tippie-toe to reach? He’s a tall guy.”

“I did not tippie-toe! He’s not that taller than me!” 

“So you _did_ kiss him!”

“Damn it, Tony!” 

“Was it all mushy? What’s it like kissing someone with a beard, did it itch, get a bit raw? Did he have bad breath? Was there tongue?” 

Steve knew he shouldn’t have come here. He thought for a moment that the billionaire, playboy and philanthropist could have been serious and tried to help him instead of making crude comments, but then again what else did Steve expect from Tony Stark. 

“Okay, I’m sorry.” 

Steve had to blink a couple of times. He wasn’t sure he heard right. Tony smiled softly and rested his hand on Steve’s shoulder. 

“Cap, here’s what you do. Go and find Thor and say what you need to say. Tell him how you feel! Tell him that you two can still work together and be friends and hammer pals or whatever, say that it won’t be awkward.”

“It will be awkward! He doesn’t have the same feelings as I do and how the hell can I be the leader of this team when I have feelings for someone under my command?”

Tony took his hand away and was completely oblivious to Steve’s dismay at the large greasy hand print left on his white t-shirt. He put on the mask again and flipped it shut over his face. Tony turned on the welding torch and got back to working on whatever it was that he was working on. 

“I don’t know Asgardian customs in these matters,” he said, speaking loudly over the sounds of the torch, “but if you’ve pissed him off, you might want to find out how to make things better by talking to another Asgardian!”

Sif. 

Now that was a good idea. 

 

\------

 

Sif, shield maiden and warrior of Asgard, was the only logical choice. She would know where Thor was and how to go about making amends, but that’s if she would. She was fiercely loyal to Thor and Steve angering him might anger her too. 

She had just happened to be on Earth when the other aliens attacked and the Avengers were more than thankful for her assistance. Two super strong Asgardians had been better than one. 

However, there didn’t seem to be any in Stark Tower right now. 

There was no sign of them and so for the rest of the day, Steve took to wallowing in his guilt over what he had done to Thor. It was a pathetic thing to do, he knew…but he couldn’t help it. He had screwed up a perfectly good friendship with that stupid kiss and Thor was never going to forgive him. 

Eventually, it turned dark outside and the need to eat finally made Steve get up off his bed and head for the door. 

He wasn’t expecting Sif to be standing on the other side of it. 

“Lady Sif…” Steve coughed and smiled politely. “How can I help you?” 

She just stared at him, with her hands planted firmly on her hips and her displeasure extremely evident with each creak of her armour. Those eyes were staring daggers at him, making him out to be some kind of super villain. 

It didn’t take a genius to figure out she was angry with him but Steve knew how powerful an Asgardian’s wrath could be. 

Sif remained silent for quite some time. Her eyes narrowed to scrutinize Steve, summing him up as she was trying to figure out what had made the Avenger’s leader anger her friend so much. Steve gestured for her to come in and reluctantly, she did.

It wasn’t until Steve closed the door that the shield maiden spoke up. 

“What have you done to Thor?” she demanded. 

Steve was about to explain, as best he could, but Sif was suddenly distracted by something. She turned away from him and strode over to the table by the window to pick up the book. 

Thor’s book. 

“Ah…that’s personal.” Steve said, hoping that she would put it down and not look inside it. Unfortunately she did. 

“It’s in Asgardian… Thor wrote this, this is his handwriting!” Sif skimmed the first page and then she shut it very quickly, seeing that it was more than personal. Her eyes widened in surprise and there was a tiny hint of a red flush on her cheeks, but she quickly regained her composure. “How did you come by this?”

“He gave it to me. He said he wrote it for me.”

“I see. You and Thor are bonded through Mjolnir and that is a great honour. I cannot begin to fathom what it is you two share, but I know it is profound and intense. I know he considers you much more than a friend, it is plain to any with eyes, for the way he acts around you, but what did you do that made him so angry and unable to talk to me?”

_Okay…just tell her._

“I kissed him.” 

“Oh.” Sif blinked in surprise and was completely unable to hide the huge smirk that came across her face. She quickly handed over the book. 

“He kissed me back,” Steve added.

“He did? Really?” 

Steve thought she was going to laugh out loud and he was puzzled as to why she was so amused by this revelation. The huge—and rather cheeky—grin was only there for a brief moment before once again the alien woman regained her stoic composure. Steve thought she was very much like Natasha in this regard, but there was something different, he couldn’t put his finger on it. 

“You need to speak to him,” she ordered, again so much like the Black Widow it was uncanny. 

Steve nodded in agreement. “I figured. Do you know where he is?”

“He’s returned to Asgard, he’ll be back soon, but when, I don’t know.”

Normally in an argument between two people, when they need time out, they might separate for a bit, go to a different room or building, anything to get some breathing space between them, but to go to another galaxy or realm entirely? It seemed laughable, but then for Thor where else would he go when he needed to calm down?

Steve felt even worse now. 

He should really get over himself and stop being so naïve about this, but this was Thor. Yes, Steve was attracted to him, but they had a friendship and a connection he didn’t have with the others. Thor was different. Steve didn’t want to be at odds with him. 

“Can you…would you help me talk to him, when he does come back?” Steve asked hopefully. “Is there some Asgardian custom I can use to approach him? I really feel like I’ve screwed everything up and to be honest, I wish that it never happened. Everyone would be better off if I’d never kissed him or said anything about how I felt about him.” 

Sif approached Steve and there was one of the gentlest and warming smiles on her face. There was no smirk or mischievousness, just a hopeful and understanding expression on her face as she placed her hands over his and closed them around Thor’s book. 

“No…you don’t wish that,” she said. “I don’t believe you would want to take back what happened between the pair of you. I cannot speak for Thor on this matter, but I will help you, Captain Rogers.”

“Really? I appreciate and welcome it, Lady Sif.” 

Her hands, which still held his, squeezed them affectionately and her smile widened. 

“Mjolnir has deemed you worthy of both her and Thor. Having fought by your side I know this to be true. I want to help you.” 

“Okay. Thank you.”

“Good.”

Steve wasn’t expecting Sif to close in on him and wrap her arms around his body to hug him tightly. He was stunned, he was almost crushed under her Asgardian strength she was squeezing him that tightly. When she realised it and softened her hold, Sif remained there, still pressing herself up against him. Steve didn’t know what to make of it because the shield maiden was looking to have a confrontation with him when she arrived, but now…she was hugging him? Steve did the only thing he knew and hugged her back. 

When the feeling of her arms around him became more than comfortable, when Steve felt like he could have stayed like this for longer, Sif pulled away suddenly. She was bright and cheerful and had a childlike excitement ebbing from her…just like Thor sometimes had. 

“The others tell me you are an artist, Captain Rogers,” Sif asked. “Is this true?” 

“Yeah. I doodle and sketch now and then. It helps me focus my thoughts, relax.” 

“Then perhaps you would be interested in learning some Asgardian artistry that might help you with Thor, upon his return to Midgard?”

“I’d like that very much.”

“We normally confront each other if we have problems, we say things outright and sometimes there might be some fighting, but Thor is not…I don’t think he’ll respond to even that. I’ve tried. But we have a story on Asgard which dates back to the times before Bor and my grandfathers, when the city and our people were young. I will tell you it and teach you about it and if you follow my instructions correctly, then all could end well, not just for you and Thor, but for the Avengers too.”

Steve smiled. 

“What do I have to do?” 

 

\-------

 

Thor returned about a week later and the atmosphere within Stark Tower, as well his behaviour to all the Avengers and SHIELD agents, was bizarre. Thor was shy, quiet and tended towards solitude instead of mixing and mingling with everyone like he usually did. 

He barely laughed but when he did it was forced and insincere. At meal times he picked at his food and ate with respectable table manners, instead of with the rambunctious scoffs he often used. He sipped at his drinks and no mugs were ever broken.

No one questioned him or queried about why he was like this, for they knew. It was the same reason why Steve was keeping his distance. No one said anything, not even Tony. Thor still needed his own time and they respected that. They allowed it whilst it didn’t affect the team’s ability to work together.

Another week went by and when the group returned from another particularly gruelling mission, they walked into one of the common rooms and discovered on the large glass table in the centre, an assortment of papers. They were small, half the size of a normal sheet and upon them were runes written in red, spelling out just one single word. 

Bruce was fascinated by them and whilst he browsed through them, Tony tried to get Jarvis to translate them, but the AI couldn’t. Jarvis stated there were some similarities to those on Earth but they were not the same. These runes were in the original language, from Asgard.   
Jarvis didn’t mention that he had also been asked not to attempt to interpret them. 

“Thor can translate!” Clint said, poking at a few of the pieces and determining which way up they were supposed to be. “You can translate these, what with them being in your own language and everything.”

There was another change about the Asgardian god. He was staring at the pieces of paper, at the runes, with worry and confusion, but a scowl soon darkened his features, he was reluctant to go near them. 

“Are they curses of some kind?” asked Tony. “We’re not going to catch the lergy, are we?” 

“No. These are not curses,” Thor replied.

“What do they say?” 

“They don’t say anything. They’re gibberish. They mean nothing.”

All of his teammates looked at him with a _‘yeah, we don’t believe you’_ glare and Natasha gently edged Thor to the table by pressing her hand to his back. 

They wanted to know. 

“They don’t mean anything by themselves.” Thor’s whole body tensed and he attempted to back away but his eyes caught Steve’s gaze and he stayed his ground. He moved some of the papers, and pointed at others. “It’s in Asgardian, but it’s code. Arranged in the right manner these runes spell out words. This one here is friendship… this is fear and that is regret, but there is usually a code within the code to reveal another message.” 

“You didn’t write these?” asked Bruce. 

Thor shook his head. He knew who had. 

Thor sneaked a glance to where Steve was sitting on the couch, looking surprisingly calm and collected. Thor was anything but calm; he felt hot shivers crawling over his skin and suddenly from out of nowhere, Mjolnir flew into his hand. The air around Thor began to charge and everyone took more than a few steps back from him. Mjolnir was giving off stronger vibrations as he held her, for she was protesting just like she had done for the past week.

Thor placed Mjolnir down by the table, which she didn’t like and sent him a shock. Thor uttered a curse at the hammer and he again moved the pieces of paper around to try and find the order. He wasn’t sure though. He didn’t know if he wanted to find the answer to Steve’s code or not. The best and simplest thing to do would be to talk to him, like he had before, but Thor couldn’t bring himself to do that either. 

He was afraid. 

“This came from the days before the Allfathers,” Thor said, as the others gathered around him. “In this time Asgard was not as it was, the eldest families were in conflict and there were many battles amongst the AEsir, battles without honour and great bloodshed. Two warriors from the two most powerful opposing families came together, they wanted peace, so they worked together and created the means to bring about the beginning of a new age for Asgard . They came up with this code so they could exchange secrets and plans by carving the runes into the trees, into walls and floors, rocks…they drew them in the earth and only they knew how to decipher it.” 

“So, what is the hidden message?” 

Thor shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. It might take me a while…but Steve could simply tell me.”

All eyes turned to Steve, but he rose up from the couch and shook his head. 

“I’m not telling you. When you’re ready, Thor, when you’ve figured it out, come see me.” 

That had been difficult for Steve to say. It showed in his eyes and as he walked away, there was a slight falter in his step. 

“Steven! I--!” 

“Thor, no.” Steve turned around and held up his hand, to stop Thor from following him. “I can’t help…” 

Thor and Steve were lost for words, when quite suddenly Mjolnir flew up from the floor and across the room, landing in Steve’s hand. 

Thor felt something break inside him.


	3. Chapter 3

She lay on the floor where Steve had dropped her.

She lay there for some time. 

Thor couldn’t bring himself to pick her up or summon her to him, because he wasn’t sure she would respond. He stood there, frozen, looking at the hammer in utter shock, just like the first time when Steve picked her up and hit him. So many conflicting emotions bombarded Thor, fear chiefly among them, definite fear as to how it was all possible. Thor couldn’t even bring himself to ask the others, or answer Tony when he asked:

“He wasn’t supposed to be able to do that, right?” 

_No. Yes? Was he?_

Thor didn’t know. A sharp stab of jealousy panged in his chest but why? He had held Mjolnir with Steve, he had felt the power increase tenfold within her and himself…it had felt glorious. He felt so powerful and elated.

Not so much now. 

Steve had been just as shocked. He had physically trembled as Mjolnir throbbed in his palm, but then he dropped her before walking out of the lounge. Natasha followed him, leaving Thor standing in the middle of the room stunned beyond words or action. 

He heard Tony, Clint and Bruce talking around him, but he didn’t catch what they were saying, until Fury’s name was mentioned. They spoke of the director coming here to Stark Tower and the fear that he or Steve would be assigned to another team, escalated. 

“Well that just sucks.” Clint summed it up in his own way, but Thor definitely didn’t like the idea of the Avengers being deprived of their leader. “So what are you going to do?”

Thor was left to do the only thing he could do, what Steve had asked of him. 

Thor bolted back to the table and sat down on one of the chairs before commencing a frantic shuffle of all the runes. Sif had taught Steve well, the penmanship was impressive considering Steve had never written Asgardian before, but the more Thor positioned the papers in different sequences, the more confused he became. 

While some of the words clearly showed how sorry Steve was, any Asgardian or Midgardian child could figure that out, there were some words that Thor must have translated wrong for they meant absolutely nothing to him. 

Before Thor even knew it, the other three men had pulled up chairs around the table and were talking at once about the best way to help him solve the mystery. Thor wanted to discover Steve’s message on his own, it would be personal after all, but then his friends didn’t give him much of a choice. 

Thankfully, not one of his teammates said a thing or asked about Steve and Mjolnir. They didn’t ask what was going on because they knew better than to make Thor more uncomfortable than he was, but they made him uncomfortable in a completely different way.

“What’s that mean?” 

“I don’t know. It’s Asgardian, Tony. I can speak a number of languages, but not this.”

“Maybe you should learn.” 

“Me? What about you?” 

“It looks weird to me. Alien.”

“It is alien, Clint.”

“How would you pronounce it, Tony?”

“I dunno, though it might involve some hacking up of phlegm or some such.” 

“Are you trying to make me angry, guys? That’s not a good idea you know!”

“Oh unclench, Bruce. We’re helping Thor…”

“How exactly?” 

“We’re helping! Okay?”

“How come it’s all straight? There’s no squiggly lines or anything.” 

“That is the important thing to notice there, Big Bird, well done! Here’s a thought, Thor…I’ve been meaning to ask you, what’s the most popular Asgardian come on? What do you immortals say to pick up hot dates?” 

“Tony, really? Is that what’s important right now?”

“So if you carved this in wood or stone or whatever and you made a mistake what do you do? Do you find a completely different tree or rock?” 

“Clint…that’s not helpful either.”

“You know what would be helpful? Squiggly lines for these runes. Seriously, there’s no squiggly or curved lines!”

“You try carving squiggly lines into wood or stone!” 

“ENOUGH!” 

Thor’s outburst--and the fact that the table cracked when he punched his fist down upon it— made Clint, Tony and Bruce vacate the room pretty quickly. Barton and Stark blamed each other for Thor’s anger, they bickered like kids. 

Being on his own trying to work out Steve’s code wasn’t any better. The table was now leaning to the side and the papers weren’t staying put. He didn’t understand even though he was trying. Mjolnir was not making it easier, she was charging up the room with a discomforting stifling heat that made Thor squirm. 

Steve had been able to pick up Mjolnir, which was wonderful and made Thor so happy they shared this bond. Then Steve had kissed him and everything turned to chaos, Thor couldn’t focus on his emotions, which was made worse when Mjolnir responded to Steve’s summons. 

No one else…with the exception of Odin himself had been able to do that. How did a human mortal manage it?

He couldn’t talk, he couldn’t express to Steve what was going through his mind and that was pitiful. The mighty Thor was never afraid to speak his feelings and tell the truth. He had no problems with confronting his fears but this was different. 

It had taken Thor two weeks to try and gain some kind of inkling on the new level in his and Steve’s relationship. It took long talks with Heimdall and Jane Foster to get him this far, but it might not be enough.

This complicated things and would definitely affect the working relationship of the Avengers. He couldn’t be a part of this team if this was how it was going to be. 

He would leave the Avengers before Fury or anyone tried to replace Steve. 

 

\----------------

 

They just sat next to each other in silence. 

Steve liked this silence. It was comfortable with her. 

Natasha could make the atmosphere in a room. 

She could make it so hard to breathe, everything would be extremely claustrophobic that you’d have no choice but to confess or tell her what she needed to know. She would only look at you and the first tiny spark of fear would ignite deep inside you, slowly building the longer she stared, to the point where you couldn’t bear it any more. 

But she could also make everything so peaceful and comforting with a completely different look. She could put you at ease and calm those fears by her proximity and with a single touch at your hand or arm. 

Her presence enough was helping him to keep focused and patient. Well as much as was possible.

“So what was it like?” 

Steve turned to her, quizzically raising an eyebrow. She gave him a look back that said ‘Really, you weren’t expecting me to ask this?’

“Powerful,” Steve sighed running his hands through his hair, messing it up “amazing and frightening too. It was like kissing a thunderstorm.”

“Kissing a thunderstorm?”

Steve grimaced a smile as if he thought comment was a bit cheesy. 

“You know the kind of storm that makes you want to stand out in the middle of it for hours, the thunder and lightning is more exciting than scary and you want to embrace it all. You lean your head back, close your eyes and hold your arms out as the rain pours into your mouth and the air is electrified all around you. It was like that. I felt the power of him, he is that storm. I had imagined what it would be like to kiss Thor hundreds of times before but they were nothing compared to the real thing.”

“Wow. That’s deep.” 

Was she joking, being sarcastic or serious? Steve couldn’t quite tell. 

“He was intense.”

“Well, tall studly Asgardian gods with mesmerising blue eyes and long blonde hair tend to be more intense in real life than in stories.” 

“Really Tasha?” Steve smirked. “Did your extensive spy skills find out that piece of intel or did you have a hunch?” 

“A bit of both?” 

“Okay, intense is not the word for him. Thor said he and I are connected through Mjolnir. When I held that hammer I was a part of him. This serum in me can make me do a lot, but as we held Mjolnir, I felt mighty, stronger and it was such a rush! It was only when we stopped…kissing, when he broke away from me that I felt empty, drained and so awful. The weeks after… I was a mess.”

“I wasn’t going to mention it, but you were a little off your game.” Natasha held up her hand to stop Steve from saying anything, “I said a little. If I thought you or Thor would endanger the team, I’d put you both down.”

Steve nodded. Of course she would. He should have remembered. Natasha lowered her hand and nodded for him to carry on. 

“I don’t know how I was able to summon Mjolnir, I didn’t think I was capable of it, but he wasn’t happy, Tasha. I don’t think Thor wants me.”

Steve fell backwards on the bed, his head nearly catching the headboard. He looked up at the ceiling and tried to make sense of the crazy mixed up emotions and sensations he was experiencing and how everything had been turned upside down and sideways. 

Steve knew how he became like this and it started the night he met Thor. 

Tony had opened that hanger door and Thor appeared, wrenching Loki from his restraints and disappearing within the storm he had created. It was a fleeting brief glimpse of the thunder god, but it was enough. 

When Mjolnir struck Steve’s shield, the reverberation blew apart the forest and left Steve more than a little dizzy. The attraction had initially been physical then, on the flight back from that first encounter, he couldn’t stop looking at him, but Steve was pleased to have found there was more to the man than just his looks. 

Thor maybe the god of legends, but he was a good man. One of the best Steve had ever known. 

“I don’t know if he feels the same way about you Steve,” Natasha said, “because he doesn’t know. The past two weeks, I’ve watched him and he really doesn’t know. He’s conflicted. You’ve taken the next step, so now you have to wait for him to respond.”

Wait. Yeah. He could do that. 

So they did. They both lay on the bed looking up at the ceiling and everything seemed okay. With the Black Widow supporting him, Steve actually began to relax. 

_“Captain Rogers, Agent Romanov…apologies for the interruption, but Director Fury wishes to meet with the Avengers in the briefing room.”_

“Thanks, Jarvis.” Steve replied as both he and Natasha jumped up from the bed and headed to the door. “Great. This is going to be fun.”

 

\--------

 

The meeting was about Mjolnir. 

Fury wanted to know all about what happened two weeks ago, he wanted the details that hadn’t (apparently) been put in the reports. Most of all he wanted to speak to Thor, who was the only Avenger not present when they gathered together. 

“He’s busy.” Bruce said. “It’s best you don’t disturb him right now.”

Fury accepted that but the ‘friendly debrief’ ended up becoming quite a heated discussion that Steve didn’t really hear. The raised voices were all talking at once but were never directed at him. Steve wanted to say something about what was going on but he couldn’t, the others always managed to get their say in first. 

The words and voices became a blur. Steve looked out of the window and focused on a distant scraper. The sky was turning black. It looked like a storm was brewing and he couldn’t help but think of Thor again. 

_We are bound for eternity. You are worthy and I have never been more glad._

_There is nothing in the whole of this cosmos that can label what we are nor break the bond we have._

_You took command and you brought order to the chaos which was threatening to tear me apart._

He closed his eyes. 

Steve remembered the sound of Thor’s voice as he read, he recalled the deep and dulcet tones that lulled him into a dopey far off trance—kind of like the one he was in now-- he recalled the runes written down upon the smooth pages of the book, so perfect, so uniform and he imagined Thor writing them, hunched over a table with the pen delicately held in his fingers and his brow scrunched in concentration. 

Steve grinned. He even imagined Thor’s tongue sticking out at the corner of his mouth. 

Steve’s grin darkened like the rest of the sky. The distant boom of thunder only reminded him that Thor was not happy.

 

\-----

 

The weather had changed. 

The light rain storm appeared before it registered on his sensors, it was localised only to the tower and a few surrounding buildings, but not to the rest of the   
city. The thunder boomed again.

This was Thor’s doing. 

_“Forgive me, Thor, I am not familiar with your language, despite its similarities to the Icelandic and Old Norse dialects. Please repeat the question in English.”_

Jarvis really didn’t need translations for a lot of what Thor was saying. Swearing in any language is easily recognisable, but the rest of what Thor muttered and babbled wasn’t computing with him. It could well have been nonsense if the way Thor was still trying to solve Steve Rogers’ runes was any indication. Jarvis had heard his creator mumble and speak to himself many times when frustrated with a project that wasn’t working out and in English it was nonsense too. 

“I cannot understand why I can’t find the code!” Thor sighed heavily and tried to keep the table propped up with his knee. “I should be able to fathom this!” 

Thor began to speak in his own tongue again. If Jarvis had physical form, he would have sighed and rolled his eyes. 

_“I think you already know the answer, sir.”_

Thor’s knee jolted up and impacted with the underside, breaking the table completely and sending the pieces of paper fluttering to the floor. Thor watched them despondently but made no move to pick them up. 

Thor knew the answer. He didn’t know he knew. 

Thor continued to look at the sheets of paper glumly and again muttered in his native language. Jarvis took it upon himself to scan them. While the runes themselves he couldn’t interpret 100%, Thor had scribbled the English words beneath them, so it was easy for an AI such as himself to look for the hidden message. 

Thor looked up when Jarvis projected his scans in mid-air. Red and orange runes and letters swirled around in blurring speeds as the AI calculated the variables and seconds later, when Jarvis finally came up with the answer, Thor leapt to his feet. 

“You’ve done it. Jarvis, you’ve done it!” Thor’s smile beamed like the sun, which immediately brightened the room when the actual sun broke through the rain clouds outside. 

_“Yes, sir. It would seem so.”_

“But…” Thor’s smile faded a little and when he picked up all the papers, he walked in amongst the projections, turning in confusion. “I…I know this. I already know this!” 

_“As I recall saying, sir.”_

Thor shook his head. Jarvis didn’t understand his confusion, he thought the Asgardian would be pleased, but Thor was anything but. 

_“Is there a problem with my findings?”_

“No. The problem is with me. I cannot do what Steven has asked of me.”

_“It seems a simple enough request. You have done it before.”_

“To do again or ever…? I cannot.”

Biological beings always made things much more complicated than they needed to be. Captain Roger’s request, amongst the apologies, wasn’t a bad thing, but Thor was having great misgivings about it. 

Thor began to pace, he muttered again under his breath, but then he strode straight over to Mjolnir and picked the hammer up, cradling her to his chest. 

_“Thor? Are you okay?”_

The Asgardian closed his eyes and took several long and deep inhalations, before opening his eyes again and heading for the door. 

“Thank you, Jarvis, for your assistance.” 

_“You are most welcome, but may I ask, what are you going to do?”_

“I… I don’t know, but I will when I see him.” 

Thor left the common room and that was that. Jarvis saved the conversation and his calculations in the file he kept on Thor and got back to the other tasks his Mr Stark had assigned to him. 

 

\------

 

“All I am asking is how Captain Rogers was able to pick up the hammer!” 

Steve snapped out of the trance he was in when there was sudden silence. All eyes were upon him, waiting for him answer. Thunder sounded outside, telling him to reply. 

Steve shrugged his shoulders.

“No one can lift Mjolnir unless they’re worthy.” he said “I guess I am.”

“Worthy? How?

“I don’t know. It might be that I have the super serum running through my veins but much stronger people have failed to lift Mjolnir. Oh and she’s not just a hammer. She’s more than that.”

“She?” 

“Thor refers to Mjolnir as feminine.” Banner interjected. 

“Are you saying the hammer has intelligence? That it’s sentient?” 

Again all eyes turned to Steve. 

He shrugged his shoulders. 

There was some kind of awareness or force from Mjolnir when he held her, more so than any weapon should give off, but it felt like the whole universe had opened for him. Touching her, holding her was channelling everything and entwining Thor and him together. 

“It’s hard to say. But why do you want to know? Thor is not going to give her to you. It’s not yours to…”

Steve was cut off as the door opened and Thor himself came walking in. 

Usually when Thor entered a room, you couldn’t miss him. People always looked to him. They were drawn by his confidence and his swagger, by the way smiled or called out in greeting. Even when he was down or upset, he still captured the room just by being there. 

But now was different. 

Steve was shocked. Thor looked humble and awkward…shy even. Everyone had to actually take a second look before realising it was Thor. He was dressed in civilian clothes, jeans and a black t-shirt, not his Asgardian armour, and Mjolnir was clutched tightly to his chest. His head was bowed, so he gazed tentatively through the locks of hair that fell over his face. 

He sauntered into the room, he edged slowly towards Steve, knowing that he was being watched and eventually knelt down beside him, holding Mjolnir out towards Steve as if she was a peace offering. Thor shook his head and tried to speak. There was regret and sadness in his eyes.

Thor shook his head and tried to say the words in English, but instead Steve heard the Asgardian words stutter and choke. 

_“I’m sorry.”_

Thor was saying sorry because he was rejecting Steve. 

The hidden code Sif had given Steve to put in the runes had been simple. 

_Kiss me._

Thor’s refusal to do so confirmed everything that Steve had feared. Thor liked him as a friend, they were bound by Mjolnir and did have something unique but Thor didn’t return the attraction or feelings Steve had for him. 

Steve felt like all of his insides had been wrung out and twisted. A sharp pain stabbed in his chest and he thought he was going to break apart. Right now, he didn’t even care that everyone else was watching. They didn’t matter. 

“I cannot do what you ask.” Thor said, his voice cracking under the strain of emotion. 

“Ah.” Ah? Steve composed himself as much as possible, he tried to be the Captain America that everyone knew to be strong, but he didn’t feel it at all. 

“I am sorry.”

It hurt. The disappointment in hearing those words agonised Steve even more. Knowing for a fact that Thor didn’t feel the same way was making him nauseous. It pained him also that Steve couldn’t be his own usual strong self and just accept it and move on. 

He wanted to move away from Thor but his hand moved forward instead and his fingers grazed the handle of Mjolnir. 

Steve let out a shuddering gasp as the warm surge of power shot up his arm to rest of his body. Instantly his hand closed around the handle and he was buffeted with intense and disorientated emotions. They felt like waves crashing over him, each was different but all were strong, drowning him. 

This was all him wasn’t it? Was it? This was way too much emotion for just one person. 

Thor didn’t feel like this…surely. 

It didn’t register at first, but something was thrust into his other hand. 

It was a piece of paper. 

Blinking several times and pushing past the emotions crippling him, Steve looked at the paper and the runes drawn perfectly in blue. There were five words, written in a question, and from Sif’s brief inductor lessons into reading Asgardian, he was able to translate. 

There was no code to break or puzzle to solve. The message was clear. 

_Can you kiss me instead?_

Steve dropped the paper. His grip on Mjolnir tightened and one of the biggest grins ever spread across Steve’s face. The pain and agony of rejection changed instantly into astonishment and joy. 

He dug the fingers of his free hand into the back of Thor’s neck and brought him up to his level to kiss him, hard. Thor tensed in fear, his lips tightened which made Steve pause but then a shocking jolt from Mjolnir made Thor part his mouth. 

There was nothing else to do. 

Steve wound his fingers into Thor’s hair and forced the kiss into a fast hungry rhythm and he rose to his feet, bringing Thor with him before stumbling across the conference room and shoving him back into the wall. 

There was a crack, some of the wall broke away and Thor responded with back with a shove of his own, slipping his hand down to squeeze at Steve’s ass, exactly like he had done before. The tight pinch of his fingers and massaging gropes made Steve respond with a hard buck of his groin. 

_“Oh yes please…more…this feels so good!”_

Steve took the gasping Asgardian words for something good, something encouraging, so he ground himself and kneaded against Thor. The friction of their bodies, of their clothes, and the salivating hungry motions of their mouths increased the insane wonderful sensations and heightened the pleasure to a point that the whole room was spinning. Every physical grind, every response from Thor was so overwhelming. 

Thor moaned into Steve’s mouth, he uttered more pleading and murmuring alien words during the few gasps of air they could manage. Steve couldn’t understand but it didn’t matter. 

Thor was actually kissing him back.

Once again Steve felt the power of a thunderstorm crackle over his body and snake across his skin. It covered and took over him, he closed his eyes and the exhilaration and exultation of it, of feeling Thor kissing him back was empowering. 

It was arousing.

Very. 

Steve dragged Thor in the direction of the door, kissing the Asgardian more forcibly as he clung tightly to him and the hammer. He shoved Thor again through the door, utterly breaking it away from the wall. 

He laughed, Thor did too, in fact they both did and continued laughing as they kissed and stumbled down the corridor, wrecking the building as they did so.

“Okay… I did not expect that.” Fury was utterly gobsmacked. 

“And you call yourself a spy.” Clint tutted and shook his head.

“You all knew about this?” 

Everyone nodded, except Tony who was more worried about the state of his tower. 

“Is it going to be a problem? I’d hate to reassign members of this team if they can’t do their jobs.” 

“We don’t know.” said Natasha. “It’s a relatively new thing. Fury, I don’t think any of us should come between them, it might end up badly, for us.”

There was a loud and almighty crack of thunder. 

Fury nodded. 

“You’re not wrong on that.” 

 

\-------- 

 

It was insane, but it was great. He couldn’t stop himself, Steve simply couldn’t pry himself away. All that was certain in his mind, was that this was the time. He was ready. No more being shy or scared about it, he had waited too long. 

Thor was going to be his first. Not what was expected, but it was certainly what Steve wanted. 

“Your… room…!” Steve tried to speak through their mashing of mouths and move Thor in the direction of the elevator at the same time but those two words were the only thing he could utter through the interlock of their lips and tongues. 

Thor wasn’t objecting at all, and was more than willing to be lead so he let Steve drag him to his room. Steve took this to be a willing consent to what would happen once they reached Thor’s room. 

In the process of their fumbling and amidst their disorientation, some plants and other ornaments Pepper had dotted about the tower for decoration, were knocked over and broken, but the two Avengers who would normally worry about having done so didn’t care as long they kept holding onto each other.

It wasn’t an easy task to keep that hold whilst keeping one hand each on Mjolnir, who seemed to be amplifying everything. 

They came to the elevator and Thor momentarily stopped clawing at Steve’s back so he could hit the call button. He missed several times and then resorted to scowling and focusing through his glazed dopey eyes with all the concentration he could muster. Eventually and when the doors opened (“it’s taking to too long! Why isn’t it here?”) it was Steve who roughly pushed Thor inside and up against the wall, making the elevator screech under the strain. 

Thor grunted and chuckled with approval. 

It was Steve who managed to heft the six foot something Norse God up off the ground, forced Thor’s legs to lock around his waist before slamming him next to the controls. Thor’s legs tightened around him and forced Steve to buck harder. 

Steve had to bite his lip as the more they rubbed the more he could feel their cocks squashing together against another through the layers of their jeans. Such tight constriction and motion against them was amazing. 

Steve murmured a breathless whisper to god or was it to the god in his arms? 

Whatever. 

No one but him had ever pleasured himself like this. No one else had touched him or contacted with him and made such aching ecstasy. No one made him release except his own hand.

Steve had never made anyone else feel this way either, but his own arousal increased knowing that Thor was just as hard as he.   
The elevator swayed and groaned under the impact of the two men and the shots of electricity sparking off from the hammer they held. 

“Floor! Floor!” Thor cried out and bellowed, sounding intoxicated and confused. He tried to hit one of the buttons on the controls as Steve stumbled the both of them about the lift, but they kept on missing as Steve’s feet tripped and stumbled. “Habitat floor!” 

Neither of them had any luck with getting the lift to operate. Steve tried to manoeuvre them back to the controls, but even when he got them close, hitting the right button was impossible.

When Thor’s t-shirt ripped apart in Steve’s hand, revealing the perfect toned torso beneath, the fact that the lift wasn’t taking them to where they wanted to go was of no importance. He paused for the moment it took to take in this perfect sculpted form, every defined curve of Thor’s pectorals, the flat but rippled abs, the flawless skin…the smooth feel of it when he dropped his hand to touch across Thor’s nipples…the twitch those pecs did in response. 

_Oh boy…_

Steve’s was broken out of his reverie when his own shirt was torn off in retaliation. He watched the shreds of it drop to the floor, but then looked back at Thor.   
Thor had seen Steve naked before, but this time he was admiring him, of the body Erskine’s serum had perfected. He wasn’t scared any more. 

“You are…” 

Steve didn’t give Thor the chance to finish as he kissed him again, harder and faster. 

The lift began to move. 

When the doors opened and they fell out, nearly destroying the wall they fell into, not one of them heard Jarvis speak.

_“You’re welcome, gentlemen.”_

The AI didn’t mention or try to quell the couple as Steve carried Thor towards his room, about the rest of the damage they left in their wake. 

Another door was ripped from the wall as Steve took them into Thor’s bedroom. He carried Thor as best he could staggering in all directions as they continued to kiss. 

A slick warm film of sweat was forming over their skin, Thor’s hands were slipping across Steve’s back and his legs were beginning to lose their grip. 

“Not yet… please not yet…” 

Steve couldn’t find the bed. 

Steve was going to drop him. 

For a moment Steve closed his eyes. 

There was space, black and infinite. He could feel the vast openness of it all and everything was cold, except Thor. The only heat, the searing burning wonderful heat was from him. It came through in his kiss, in the way his hand roamed across the expanse of Steve’s back. It came through his wet dripping skin and through every muscle beneath that skin as it tensed. The heat breathed against Steve’s face as Thor pleaded and groaned in his ear. 

It was burning him up. 

“I can’t hold on!” 

The bed broke when Thor landed on it. Steve was dragged down on top of him breaking their kiss. They didn’t carry on, not straight away.   
Their mouths were inches apart and the urge to taste those lips again was hard to resist but Steve instead lulled for a while in the up and down motion of Thor’s panting body beneath him. That huge chest, the shapely torso was lifting him up and down and through Thor, Steve could feel the beating rage of his heart in time with his own.

There were a few static shocks, sudden jolts across their skin. Thor smiled when the small gasp and the swear word gasped from Steve’s lips, and he stroked a hand across Steve’s face, only to crackle more little shocks across his jaw. Steve nuzzled his face against Thor’s palm and just a simple inhalation, a deep breath in through his nose made him smell the thunderstorm again. It was Thor, the aroma and charge of him was so invigorating, it felt deliciously dangerous. 

This was a god beneath him or rather a man revered as a god. Thor had power beyond any Steve had and he wanted to feel more, he needed to carry on experiencing the pleasure that was aching in his jeans, to be inside him. He dipped his head down against Thor’s neck and allowed the sensations, the rush and pleasure to shiver and quake his body. 

Steve kissed lightly at Thor’s jaw, the wet bristles of his beard made his lips tingle and when a hard clenching hand grabbed at his arse, Steve couldn’t hold back any more. Again he grabbed hold of Thor’s hair and took his mouth with his own, at the same time frantically grinding his erection against Thor. 

Every motion, every reaction Thor did back against him, brought Steve closer and closer to the edge. The rocking and friction was keeping that constant swell and flutter of heated pleasure in his cock, it was increasing it. Steve ached, the pressure tightening in his jeans was rising, his breaths were becoming deeper and quicker and when Thor dug his nails deep into Steve’s backside and whispered a string of guttural Asgardian phrases into his ear, it just happened before he could try and stop it. 

He came. 

Steve felt the stinging shots behind his eyes as he clenched them tightly shut and orgasmed far sooner than he ever expected. 

“Oh shit!”


	4. Chapter 4

_“During the dark ages, when the Elves of Sveltheim ruled over the nine realms, Asgard itself was in turmoil and despair. The ruling Asgardian families constantly tried to seize power from one another and the fighting, the battles, were never ending. There was death…there was despair and sorrow. It was not the golden realm you know of today._  
“The Elves and the Elder Asgardian’s actions made two young warriors from two opposing and powerful families come together in a secret truce. These warriors used their influence, their knowledge and power, to change Asgard and it started with a simple code. It started with one word hidden within many.   
“That one word brought Asgard out of the dark, allowed us to advance our technology and allowed our people to finally see the truth. It was the beginning of the Allfathers; it was the start of a new age.” 

 

Things went very cold all of a sudden but then there was warmth, a different kind from the heat that had been created by his body. 

It was a wet warmth and it had seeped through Thor’s jeans. 

He groggily looked up at the man on top of him and saw Steve with his eyes scrunched tightly shut. His breath was shuddering, gasping from his lips along with a single tendril of saliva that dripped onto Thor’s chest. 

Steve’s body was tense, all his muscles tightened but he convulsed before falling off Thor and the broken bed. Steve curled up into a ball on the floor as the rest of his orgasm ebbed out, as the convulsions reduced to trembles and shudders, but even before the last flutters of pleasure faded away, Steve somehow managed to get to his hands and knees and crawled to the bathroom, uttering a word that Thor had heard the others mutter plenty of times.

“Shit! Oh shit! Shitshitshitshit!…oh wow….oh…god!…..Shit!” 

Thor watched through his own hazed eyes, as Steve then clambered to his feet and staggered into the en-suite, slamming the door behind him. The super soldier must have forgotten about his strength again as the bathroom door broke off as well. 

“Damn it!” 

“Steven?” Thor tried to get up himself, but the broken bed fell apart even more and tilted and upended Thor onto the floor. He winced as he slid off from his backside and onto his front. Steve may have released prematurely but Thor was still hard and very wanton. He rose up to his knees and steadied himself as best he could by laying his hand against the collapsed bedframe. 

Thor noted Mjolnir on the other side of the bed. She had come lose from their grasp and was now on the floor, still giving off a charge that called to Thor, that ran through his whole body. Mjolnir was not (this time) his priority. 

Thor got to his feet, swayed quite a way to one side and then the other and called out again to Steve. There was no reply. 

Steve needed reassurance, but Thor wasn’t sure if he was able to give such assurance when he was still overwhelmed and confused by the whole situation too.   
Steve was his friend, his fellow Avenger and protector of Midgard. 

Thor had never imagined that he would have feelings like this towards him and the fact that he did, scared him. Such feelings or indeed any kind of relationship with Steve wouldn’t be accepted on Asgard. 

There were influential families on Asgard that did not approval of mortals, Odin himself had expressed disapproval of his son’s friendship with them and many certainly didn’t approve of same sex relationships. So what was in store for the next King of Asgard if they found out he had developed feelings for a human male? 

What could ever become of a relationship with Steven Rogers even though Mjolnir found him worthy of Thor’s power? 

Thor closed his eyes and for a moment decided to revel in the way his body was feeling when he thought of Steve now. His hand reached down and touched at the wet stain on his jeans. His cock throbbed even with such a light contact and Thor gasped. 

He brought his hand up to slick back the locks of his hair but paused, cupping his palm over his nose. He could smell Steve, a strong scent, but so distinctly Steve that Thor badly wanted to slip his hand down his jeans and finish himself off, but another curse of Midgardian slang came from the bathroom and snapped Thor out of his rapture. A strange bizarre feeling of guilt overcame Thor. 

He went to the bathroom and peered round the broken door frame. 

“Steven? Are…are you okay?” 

Thor immediately turned away to avert his eyes as he caught sight of Steve trying to clean himself up. Virtually naked except for his boots, the sight was not an unpleasant one. Thor muttered a few curses of his own, especially when his body was telling him to go back in there, but Steve didn’t need him there right now. 

Thor closed his eyes again and kept his back against the wall, facing away from the naked temptation in the other room. He didn’t know how long he had stood there, but after a while, his own discomfort eased, but only slightly. 

Then—after how long he knew not-- Steve responded from within the bathroom. 

“I’m… I’m sorry, Thor. I didn’t mean for… this to happen like it did. It’s not how I ever wanted our first time together to be. I wanted to last a bit longer than I actually did, but my body had different ideas. It’s funny. I always thought the serum would prevent things like this, but hey…what do I know. I’m embarrassed as hell, Thor, and…I’m sorry.”

“Say no more, these things happen. You have nothing to be embarrassed about.” 

“Yeah...no…it was embarrassing. It happened way too soon. You’re embarrassed too, which is why you’re hiding behind that wall.”

“I’m not hiding,” Thor grimaced at that blatant lie, “I am allowing you privacy so you can…freshen up.”

Thor heard the sound of a light chuckle and then the soft mutter of yeah, right. There was the sound of running water and after Steve finished, ten minutes later, he called out. 

“Thor? Do you have any clothes I could borrow? Please?”

Thor suddenly realised. Of course Steve would need new clothes, as would he, so Thor rushed away from the wall and picked out some black jogging bottoms that would (possibly)fit Steve, along with a blue t-shirt. Thor put on some fresh clothes himself, all the while frantically trying to will his semi-hard cock to return to normal. It wasn’t easy slipping on the pants.

Thor walked back to the bathroom, once he had covered himself up sufficiently, and handed the clothes to Steve by poking his arm around the corner of where the door had once been. He waited for Steve to take the clothes and when he did, Thor allowed Steve to dress. 

These long awkward silences were making Thor a bit impatient and so Thor cautiously looked around the door and when he saw Steve had pants on, he slowly edged into the room, smiling shyly. 

“They fit you well enough,” he said, his voice stammering a little as he tried to compliment the other man. 

“You really think?” Steve joked as even after he tied the string, the black jogging bottoms slipped and showed his predominant pelvic bones. 

“Aye, I really think.” Steve’s sarcasm eluded Thor.

“Well…they don’t, fit that is, but thank you anyway.” 

“You are most welcome.” 

They just stood there. 

A few very awkward and tense minutes passed when the two of them stood looking everywhere in the bathroom except at each other. There were some nervous coughs to break the silence and the shuffling of feet, their boots squeaking on the tiles, but when their eyes finally locked Thor was drawn back to the human. 

He walked up to Steve, entranced by blue youthful eyes and the desire gazing back at him. Thor grit his teeth and eventually closed his eyes. He leaned down nervously and felt a light brush of Steve’s lips against his. Their mouths kissed, short and brief but tender sweeps and light grazes, delicate but fearful. When Thor reached his hand out to touch Steve, to caress his palm against the smooth line of his jaw, they both suddenly pulled away. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“No…I’m sorry.” 

“Thor…I don’t think...maybe…maybe we should slow down a bit?”

“Is that what you want to do?” 

“Not really.” Steve chuckled and that beautiful smile tried to hide his nervousness. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone. I want to carry on where we left off and have you till next Monday but Thor…you really are… I can’t find the words. I don’t want to take it slow at all, but…it’s the right thing to do.”  
Damn him for being right. 

Thor nodded and stepped away to allow Steve to put on the t-shirt, which fit him quite well. It wasn’t so tight like most of his own were.

“Then we shall take it slowly.” 

Thor walked out of the bathroom and Steve followed. He had hoped that this was it for now, that Steve would leave and they would have some time alone to compose themselves but Steve wasn’t going anywhere. 

Just like in the bathroom they were standing opposite each other, saying nothing. There was a lot that needed to be said, but how to even start? What could he say? 

“Are you okay, Thor?” Steve broke the silence. 

Yes, no? Thor wasn’t sure. 

“I am fine.” 

“Really?”

Thor shook his head. 

“No. I am uncertain as to how to progress from here. I am confused by what has transpired but also I am sure that I want more, I wish to continue, though I don’t know what taking things slow with you would entail. We have an amazing connection, we kissed and it was wonderful, but I am still at a loss.”

“I was certain that you didn’t and couldn’t return my feelings.” Steve cleared his throat and walked over to the table where Thor had spent three days writing his book. Steve picked up the quill and blue ink pot, looking surprised at both of them for a moment, before placing them back down and facing Thor. “I thought you didn’t feel the same way. When you tried to save my life on that mission, putting your own life at risk…I…got scared. I got pretty damned stupid. I know we’ve come close to death several times before, but that day I was so scared that something would happen to you that I overreacted. I got angry at you. I lifted Mjolnir without thinking and I lashed out. I honestly thought you hated me for that…that finally I had screwed things up and you or even I would end up leaving the Avengers. You came to me and apologised for something you didn’t need to apologise for and I kissed you, thinking…yeah, that’s a good idea! When you…when you left like that, for Asgard, I thought I had offended and angered you even more. In the end I guess had absolutely no idea.” 

Thor smiled softly. 

“Neither did I.”

Steve mirrored Thor’s smile with an adorable one of his own, the kind that caught just the corner of his mouth. 

“Natasha said as much. She said you didn’t know.” 

“The Black Widow is extremely perceptive.” Thor sighed and turned away from Steve to Mjolnir. 

He bent down next to her and stroked across her side. The power was still pulsing off of her and he felt it crackling beneath his skin. He felt the pleasure throb again in his groin and for a moment became dizzy with a head rush. Thor backed away from the hammer and slumped down onto the floor with a hefty thud. Steve came over and sat down next to him, but he still kept a distance, weary as to let things get out of hand again. 

“The look on your face when Mjolnir came to me…you looked heartbroken,” he said. 

Thor shrugged his shoulders. 

“I was devastated…though I’m not sure why. My father is the only other one who could summon Mjolnir. Others can pick her up but she has never responded to anyone but me or the Allfather. You must be special indeed.”

“Nah. I’m not special. I’m just a kid from Brooklyn.” 

“Yes. You are special and I am honoured to be and still be your teammate and friend, Steven Rogers,” Thor said, closing the gap between them to clasp his hand gently against Steve’s jaw. “When you hit me with Mjolnir I was stunned, yes, but amazed and overjoyed that you are worthy of her power and of me. When you kissed me, I was afraid…but never more so than when I responded. I had no idea that you felt so strongly towards me and that I could possibly reciprocate.”

“Thor…” Steve turned his head and took Thor’s hand away from his face, but he kept a firm hold, resting both their hands on his knee. 

“You summoned Mjolnir, she did your bidding and I was too arrogant to think that I was unique for that honour. Do not say you are not special or that this world is not special. Captain…Midgard has made great progress over the centuries as I am sure you can attest to. Asgard has too over the millennia. While Asgard is vastly superior to Midgard in many ways, what I have learnt of this realm and of its people, there are ways in which Earth and humans…are superior to the AEsir. You are special.” 

“Huh?” There was a look of confusion on Steve’s face and so Thor cleared his throat.

“What you and I did…the love or sexual coupling between two men, is allowed on my world, there are no laws against who you have a relationship with or with whom you marry, but there are a great many disapprovals and prejudices amongst some members of the older Asgardian families and those who have positions upon my father’s council. It has taken us millennia to get to this point, but on Midgard change has happened rapidly. Men can marry men, women can marry women, adopt children and do so much…though there is much more change to take place. 

“One day I will become King of Asgard, but I don’t know what that would mean for us, for you and I, Steven. You are a mortal and a man and I do not think my being in a relationship with you would be allowed or tolerated as it would be for the others of my kind. It could be easy enough for someone to use us as an excuse to topple the House of Odin. I do not think I could bear that….so this is not just…” Thor stopped in mid-sentence when Steve sighed heavily and shook his head. “What’s wrong?”

There was a light sigh and Steve shuffled on his butt to face Thor fully. 

“Thor, ever since I met you, I was attracted to you. I grew up in a time where being gay was thought of as a disease, a sickness, and it was against the law. The hatred towards gays was immense and strong. People were beaten and killed for being this way. Now, I knew from an relatively early age that I was attracted to both guys and…dam—women. How could being in love or finding someone attractive be wrong? 

“I didn’t like other people telling me or others who we could and couldn’t love, so I did what I could to stand up against them just like any bully, just like anyone who would try to take our freedom of choice away from us. But before I was this, before the serum, no one took me seriously anyway. I couldn’t talk to girls or the guys I liked…I didn’t know what to say…which is kind of stupid really. I always got shy about it when it came to actually asking anyone out or even telling them they looked pretty or handsome. They would take one look at my scrawny body, of what I looked like and either ignored me or beat me up.”

“Steve…”

“It’s okay…I coped. With everything I suffered from, my illnesses and afflictions, I endured. I also had Bucky. He was my friend, my best friend who never judged me or hated me for who and what I was. He supported me and helped me through it all, he helped me to never give up.”

“Did you…did you love him?” 

Steve looked away for a moment. His face turned sad and there was a visible tear catching at the corner of his eyes. He didn’t need to say anything, Thor understood. 

“Can you answer me this, Thor? Do you…do you have feelings for me? Are you, Thor Odinson, attracted to me?” 

_Yes._

That was the first response in Thor’s head. 

Yes. Completely. He was attracted to Steve Rogers, for the human was stronger than he by far, in character and goodness. He was not only physically handsome, but that wouldn’t have mattered. This was Steve Rogers, with or without the serum that had changed his physical form. 

He was fair and just, he was funny with a wonderful snark that Thor thought outdid Stark and Barton’s on more than one occasion. He also had a naivety about a lot of this Midgardian era, but he learnt and caught on very quickly. Thor was attracted. 

Why hadn’t he known this sooner? Why didn’t it register? 

“Aye…I am. Verily.” 

“Then, right now, that is all that matters.” Steve squeeze Thor’s hand. “Your people on Asgard will either have to like it or…lump it.”

“You mean…we will tell them?”

“We don’t have to say anything, yet. Let’s see how we are together first.”

“Very well.” 

Steve brought up their hands and kissed at Thor’s knuckles.

“We both have fears, doubts and second thoughts, I know I do. A lot. Right now I am terrified. I understand yours and I don’t blame you for being scared but all my life I’ve had to restrain this part of me and I don’t want to do so anymore. You and me together can be great for the Avengers. We can be great together.”

Thor gently bobbed his head. 

“Then…how shall we proceed?”

“For starters, I think we should refrain from holding Mjolnir at the same time.” 

The bonding they shared through Mjolnir made emotions much more intense, their feelings channelled through her and if this new relationship or whatever was to progress, and progress at a steady pace, it would be best they didn’t both come into contact with her together. 

Thor understood now.

Sif had planned this. She had hoped for this. 

It made sense. 

All these years, she had known what he did not. It was the reason why she was not more openly upset about his lack of affection towards her. It was also why Jane had not been as upset either. Those wonderful women had seen something within him, that he had been utterly clueless about for hundreds of years. They had seen the signs that he had been oblivious to. 

Thor bolted to his feet so suddenly that it caught Steve by surprise. Thor didn’t stop to explain, he just went back to his cupboards and rummaged through some of his belongings that he had brought from Asgard. He pulled out a book from the bottom of a pile of Asgardian books and returned back to Steve, who looked a little perplexed. 

“This belonged to my mother. She used to read it to Loki and me when we were little. It is the story Sif told you, of how Asgard came out of the dark ages to become what it is now.”

Thor sat back down next to Steve and opened the book. 

The look upon Steve’s face as he slowly turned the pages was a sight to see. Thor was in awe as Steve traced his fingers across the gold and black runes, his mouth open and eyes wide with amazement. But it was Frigga’s drawings, sketched in silver on the paper by the runes, that made Steven even more astounded. 

“Wow… they’re beautiful. This is… this is beautiful, it’s amazing.” 

“My mother loved to draw. Steve… Sif told you this story for a reason.”

“I know. It was to help me get you to talk to me.”

“She didn’t tell you all of it, did she?”

“I’m…huh-what?” 

“After you told her what happened between us…and I am not displeased that you did, Sif told you this story to remind me. She was letting me know it was all right, she was all right if I wanted to be with you. She wanted me to remember how everything started because the real truth had been forgotten. Not everyone on Asgard is aware of the code Haaken and Eystein used, that they weren’t just to exchange battle secrets.”

“Oh.” 

“They were lovers.” 

“Oh.” Steve smiled. “I see.”

Thor sighed and handed the book to Steve, upon a page that had a drawing of two Asgardian warriors standing side by side. The silver and gold detail on their faces and the armour was intricate and detailed, it was so perfect. 

“They were from different families and were supposed to be enemies. For talking and conspiring against their kin was enough to warrant their deaths, but if any knew that the men were in love as well… then their executions would have been much worse. Only Eystien’s sister knew. She kept their secret and it remained so, long after peace came to Asgard.” 

“They changed the future of your world.” 

Thor nodded. “But they sacrificed much. They had to keep their relationship a secret for the greater good of the AEsir. I do not want to sacrifice what we can have.”

“Then Sif did right. She did very right, I love her!” Steve laughed and leaned over to kiss Thor on the cheek. “Lady Sif knew you would remember the story, it all makes sense now.”

“It would have been better if we all just talked and were honest with ourselves.”

“True, but it’s not always that easy, Thor, and we proved that. Sif helped us both. We can do this….if this is what you want.”

“I do.” 

“I do too. It’s so great to hear you say that.”

“So…what do we do now?”

Steve looked towards the broken remains of the bed and there was a wicked glint in his eye and the smirk came back, indicating clearly what he wanted to do, but he returned his gaze to the book and was again lost in awe at Frigga’s art. 

“Would you read this to me?” 

_Really?_

Was this what Steve meant by going slow? He didn’t want to have a meal together or a drink? Did taking things slow not mean going to the pictures that move, or a walk in the Central park? 

“You are certain?” 

“Sure. I’m interested!” Steve nudged Thor playfully with his shoulder. “It’s your family, right? From your mother’s side.”

Thor tensed. 

“Sif said one of those guys was your ancestor.” 

“Yes, yes, he was. Eystien.”

“Will you read it to me?” 

“I suppose I could translate again, like I did for my own writing.” 

Steve shook his head. 

“No?” 

“No. No translation…read it to me in Asgardian. Translate it another time.” 

Steve would not know what the words mean. He wouldn’t understand. Thor was about to say this, but Steve obviously knew what he was going to say and was having none of it. 

“Read the runes to me, Thor. Please?” 

Thor smiled and agreed. He would, but not whilst they were sitting on the floor, not like this. 

 

\--------

 

Tony’s curiosity wasn’t a surprise to Jarvis, or to indeed anyone. 

No one could blame him after the damage the two men had done to his tower and—as Tony so clearly loved to point out—he had helped them after all and he was entitled to know. 

Fury had left half an hour after witnessing the new relationship suddenly burst into life before his very eye, as he had much more important things to do, but he had ordered Barton and Romanov to be watchful of this new couple. An order the two agents were more than happy to carry out…discreetly as always. 

Bruce hadn’t said much, but one of his rare and genuine smiles showed his approval and it wasn’t long before he went back to his projects, preferring not to interfere with Steve and Thor’s progression. Eventually it was down to Bruce and Pepper to try and temper Tony’s enthusiasm for his two friends’ new sex life. 

“They’re doing it right now, aren’t they? Amidst the wreckage of my tower, they’re at it like golden retrievers in heat, I know it!”

“Tony…”

“Bruce, you seriously can’t tell me that they’re not after that performance we saw. There’s bits of their clothing lying in the corridor!”

“Give it a rest, Tony. Come and do some science with me.” 

Normally the prospect of doing science with Bruce would pique Tony’s interest, but not this time. 

“Jarvis! You know what they’re doing! You’ve got the security footage saved, I know. Show the good doctor Banner what Cap and Thunderthighs are doing!” 

“Alas, I cannot oblige, sir. The privacy protocols prohibit me from doing so.” 

“Spoil sport.” 

Bruce put his arm around his friend and gently eased him towards the door. 

“Come on, Tony. Let’s go and blow something up, that always makes you feel better. Right?” 

Tony sighed and nodded. 

“As long as it isn’t any more of my tower and Dum-E isn’t on fire duty again.” 

Jarvis registered his creator’s departure from the room and got back to his many ongoing calculations and tasks still to do. Tony Stark was right however, he knew exactly what Captain Rogers and Thor were doing. 

The holographic video feed of Thor’s room appeared in the centre of the room and it was nothing at all what Tony, or indeed anyone else had expected. 

There was great damage done to Thor’s room, the bed was broken as were both the doors and walls, however there was nothing of what the humans called sexual going on. 

Jarvis was intrigued. 

Thor had somehow constructed a hammock from the bed linen and suspended it from the ceiling. It was in this hammock that the two men were now huddled together in, swinging gently from side to side as Thor read to him.

It was quite endearing, if Jarvis was capable of actually feeling emotions. 

Instead, he opened up a new linguistic database under the file name ‘Asgardian’ and recorded the Norse god’s language. Jarvis was certain he could translate it in no time.


End file.
